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Update from Concerned Dad

Been away for a long time and looks like the site layout has changed - not really sure where to post this, I figure I’ll post it here.

I used to be very active on this board when my daughter was diagnosed w/ scoliosis in Nov 2008. Four years ago we were in Montreal getting fitted for the Spinecor (which we rather quickly abandoned because the physician reported in-brace correction seemed to be a gross exaggeration – but that’s a whole other story). Back then I remember that I would often wish some of the folks who pre-dated my time here, whose stories and journeys I read w/great interest, would come back and let us know how things turned out. So, I figured I would pop in and say hi to some old friends and provide an update.

After abandoning the Spinecor we adopted the “watchful waiting” approach, visiting the doctor every 6 months for xrays. At diagnosis she was almost completely skeletally mature (as assessed by hand radiographs) and her doctor felt “observation” was a very reasonable course of action. At the 2 year post-diagnosis appointment (when she likely would have been taken out of the brace had we pursued that route) her curve was the same as it was 2 years prior, 38 degrees. We felt pretty good about things, even smug perhaps, figuring we spared her the burden of bracing and achieved the same intended outcome (a stable curve). My dear daughter went on with her life growing into quite the remarkable young lady).

Just when we thought this whole scoliosis saga was behind us, we went to our summer appointment/check-up. We were shocked to discover she progressed to 55 degrees. I’m thinking: that’s not supposed to happen, she’s a fully grown adult. A modest progression I could see, but that was a dramatic jump. Long story short, we decided to wait another 6 months and re-assess the situation (and he ordered an MRI to exclude other things as a cause of the late progression). Anyway, she is in surgery at this moment (I am typing this from the waiting room).

CD! So great hearing from you. Very sorry about that late progression. So strange when an skeletally mature person progresses so rapidly.

Well you completely spared your daughter the brace. Had she been wearing it, the brace would have been credited with stopping the progression. Yet it stopped on its own. The majority of brace wearers might fall into this category as you know. Newton and his buddy recently calculate an overtreatment factor of about 9 as I recall.

I wish your daughter luck. She will move past this and on with her life.

Sharon, mother of identical twin girls with scoliosis

No island of sanity.

Question: What do you call alternative medicine that works?Answer: Medicine

Its never behind us.....I know I’m making people cry right now, but it’s the truth. When we do “ok” in any current state, we try to savor the moment almost like a fine wine. We also do ok in pain because we get used to it.....Scoliosis is what you make of it....and depends on your attitude which we find out needs to be positive most of the time.

Yes, she became a remarkable young lady, I don’t doubt that. She is a scoli remember?

And YOU are remarkable as a scoli parent....You have done everything correct.

I'm so sorry to hear of your daughter's late progression. Scoliosis can be so unpredictable. I wish her all the best. Please keep us posted. I'm sure she'll bounce back quickly - she's still very young.

I was just thinking about your case and wondering how things were going. I couldn't remember your screen name, though to review it. If I remember correctly, you were very proactive with your daughter for a time trying alternative therapies. I was very impressed.

My story is similar to your daughter's except my progression hasn't been as much and mine progressed when I turned about 40 years old. I was skeletally mature with anywhere between a 37* to 39* curve depending on who measured it. I don't feel safe from progression but am not a surgical candidate at this time. So my interest is in doing alternative stuff that's non-harmful right now.

I can't imagine the feeling you are feeling right now with your "little girl" in surgery (she'll always be your little girl). I hope everything goes well for her. Let's hope her youth gives her a quick recovery.

Well hello you are back again, and then today I decide to have a look after many many months. You did everything any father could have possibly done for your daughter, investigated everything and I can remember you vividly. I even used to talk about you after you left here. Your daughter is going to be absolutely fine and you have truly done the right thing. Your beautiful girl will have a wonderful life and as Sharon said you will all move past it and things will go on normally. She is a very lucky girl, to have you as her father. All the very very best.

Lorraine.

Operated on in 1966, harrington rods inserted from T4 to L3, here in Australia. Fusion of the said vertebrae as well. Problems for the last 14 years with pain.
Something I feel deeply,"Life is like money,you can spend it anyway you wish, but can only spend it once.

Welcome back. I was really sorry to read that your daughter was having surgery. It's just one more little bit of evidence that until they come up with something better, it's all really out of our hands. No matter how much effort we put into it, if someone is destined for surgery, there's probably nothing we can do to change that fact. I truly hope your daughter had a complication free surgery and that her recovery is an easy one.

Regards,
Linda

Never argue with an idiot. They always drag you down to their level, and then they beat you with experience. --Twain
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Surgery 2/10/93 A/P fusion T4-L3
Surgery 1/20/11 A/P fusion L2-sacrum w/pelvic fixation

I'm sorry to hear your daughter ended up progressing. Darn the luck. Hopefully today finds your daughter up and around and recovering nicely!

Thanks for coming back and updating, I think that is a good thing for people who post here to do over the years.

Even though your daughter was skeletally mature at diagnosis, I still find it reprehensible that any doctor (or chiropractor) is not giving honest evaluations of cobb angles. As far as I'm concerned anyone who does that deserves to be put out of business. >:-(

Hi CD ... Wishing all the very best for your daughter. Sometimes surgery is an absolute miracle, may it be that way for her. And thank you once again for all your truly meaningful sharing, made a difference in my life for sure!